Stash Me if You Can – Dynasty Sleepers for Fantasy Football 2014

Ladarius Green has shown flashes of elite playmaking this season, and he offers top 10 tight end potential in 2014. (photo by Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

We’re on to fantasy football week 16, and there aren’t many relevant teams left at this juncture. If you’re still in the hunt, my congratulations to you, and good luck! For the rest of us, especially those of us in keeper leagues, there’s always next year, and you are doing yourself a disfavor by not using these last few weeks to your best advantage. Regardless of your keeper format, there is considerable advantage to mining the free agent wire towards the end of the season for next season’s gems. Today we’re going to highlight guys we’re going to be looking for on keeper waiver wires. If we miss anyone, please feel free to comment, and if not, we’re open 24/7 for discussion in the forums!

Quarterbacks

Nick Foles PHI | QB

Foles is almost universally owned at this point, but I wanted to include him because most folks added him off waivers at some point this year. This makes him extremely valuable as a keeper. If you’re somehow in one of the leagues where Foles is still available, or if he’s dropped during these last few weeks, do not hesitate in pouncing on him. (about 85% owned)

Brian Hoyer CLE | QB

Before blowing out his ACL, Hoyer started out his season on fire and potentially had the look of the like the QB of the future for the Browns. He has an obvious connection with Jordan Cameron, and one can only imagine what he might do with a full season of Josh Gordon. He should be ready for the start of the 2014 season, and he’s more or less free at the moment. (about 0% owned)

Kirk Cousins WAS | QB

Full Disclosure: Cousins managed to look pretty darn good…against the Falcons, one of the league’s worst defenses. That being said, he’s going to start these last two weeks against the Giants and Cowboys, and it seems likely he’ll show well. While it is unlikely that he’s a Washington Redskin in 2014, there’s a strong possibility that he’s starting elsewhere. If he were to start in, say, Jacksonville, next year he could be in line for a monster season for a tiny draft price. (about 10% owned)

Running Backs

Jordan Todman JAX | RB

With Maurice Jones-Drew becoming a free agent in 2014 after a middling / terrible / 3.5 YPC campaign, you have to wonder who is going to take the running back reins for 2014 in Jacksonville. The Jags aren’t close to a playoff team, so unless they take a RB with a top pick, it seems like Todman is next in line to inherit the position. He showed well on Sunday, totaling 153 total yards on 29 touches. He’s an RFA in 2014, but will no doubt be resigned, and savvy owners should snap him up now in anticipation of profits aplenty in 2014. (about 15% owned)

Dion Lewis CLE | RB

Another Cleveland skill position that needs filling. You can’t assume that Willis McGahee and Edwin Baker are the future at the position for the Browns. Lewis is signed at a super cheap salary through the end of next season, and based on the lack of production from the position you’d have to assume he gets first crack at the job if the Browns don’t use the Colts first round draft pick (acquired in exchanged for Trent Richardson) to draft their next RB of the future. (about 0% owned)

Christine Michael SEA | RB

Marshawn Lynch is a beast. We know this, and we can plan on it. But every beast is a play away from being injured, and in a run-heavy attack like Seattle employs, it could pay to know who the direct backup is. Everyone agrees that Robert Turbin is the change of pace back for Lynch, but if you’ve watched game film this year, it is clear that if Lynch went down, Michael would be the back to own. He has looked amazingly explosive, powerful, and shifty. It is likely he would be starting on most NFL teams. (about 5% owned)

Wide Receivers

Rueben Randle NYG | WR

With Hakeem Nicks towards the end of a (terrible) contract year, it seems likely that the Giants will let him walk and anoint Randle the #1 outside WR to go along with Victor Cruz outside. He has gigantic upside, great opportunity, and has scored on 6 of 37 total catches this season. He’s signed through the end of 2015 at a very affordable salary, and makes an excellent dynasty stash if he’s available. (about 60% owned)

Terrance Williams DAL | WR

In many respects, Williams resembles Randle. He plays one of the outside WR positions for a pass-first offense, and has flashed big-play upside despite limited playing time. He’s scored 5 times on 39 total catches while averaging over 15 yards per reception. With Miles Austin looking totally cooked this year, and Williams signed very affordably thought 2017, look for the Cowboys to begin the transition this offseason to to younger, more affordable, and more talented WR. (about 45% owned)

Cordarrelle Patterson MIN | WR

Many took Patterson in the later rounds at the draft table hoping for a breakout season from the rookie wideout. Unfortunately, the breakout took much longer than anticipated, hampered by the Vikings inept QB play and coaching. As the season wore on, however, even the Vikings figured out how to incorporate the explosive Patterson into the game plan, and Cordarrelle has recently flashed his limitless potential. He makes for an excellent keeper stash with huge upside for 2014. (about 40% owned)

Tight Ends

Ladarius Green SD | TE

If you’ve watched any Chargers game film from the last 2 years, you can tell Antonio Gates is in the twilight of his career. He can still position himself with the best, but his elite foot speed and strength are diminishing rapidly. The future at the position for the Chargers is Green. He’s flashed elite playmaking upside recently despite minimal playing time, posting 205 yards receiving and 2 TD’s over the last three games. Gates probably isn’t done after this season, but with so much talent at the tight end position you would have to expect much more 2 TE action from the pass happy Chargers in 2014. (about 15% owned)

Levine Toilolo ATL | TE

Tony Gonzalez is apparently going to actually retire after this season. While we’ve heard this before, it stands to reason that he’s had enough after the disaster of a season the Falcons have put together. His direct backup, in a pass-happy dome offese, is Toilolo. The OC in Atlanta has stated that he’s going to be getting Levine more reps down the stretch, and the offense is already set up to accommodate a highly fantasy-relevant TE. While I’m not saying that Toilolo is Gonzalez, he could be in line for a hell of an opportunity in 2014. (about 0% owned)

Jordan Reed WAS | TE

Reed was one of the hottest pickups earlier this season after putting 134 yards and a TD on Chicago in week 7. Since then, however, he’s scored only once, and hasn’t played since week 11 due to recurring concussion symptoms. It seems likely that he’ll be placed on IR this week, but this means that he’ll be dropped by many playoff teams in need of a roster spot for the fantasy playoffs. And you’ll be ready to pounce. Reed looked every bit the legit TE1 during his mid-season run, and assuming he returns healthy for 2014, should return amazing value for all who were able to snag him off of the waiver wire. (about 60% owned)